Insole with longitudinal arch flange



March 5, 1957 w. M. SCHOLL 2,7 3,5

INSOLE WITH LONGITUDINAL ARCH FLANGE Filed May 3, 1955 INVENTOR. mum/1 M 50/904 L -ZKM v ATTYS.

United States Patent INSOLE WITH LONGITUDINAL ARCH FLANGE William M. Scholl, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 3, 1955, SerialNo. 505,684

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-71) This'inventiou relates to an improvement in an insole for free disposition in an article of footweansuch as a shoe, slipper, orthe like and a preferred embodiment of the insole may be constructed with a longitudinal arch flange projecting laterally therefrom, although the invention may be :made in other and various shapes, as will be ap parent to one skilled in the art.

-In the past, many and various types of cushioning insoles for disposition in an article of footwear have been developed. In many cases these formerly known devices took up so much room in a shoe as to be uncomfortable to the user, unless applied in an oversize shoe. In other cases, insoles of :this type heretofore known did not effectively hold their position within a shoe, but would tend to slip out of position or gather in different locations within the shoe, ultimately rendering it necessary for the user to remove the shoe and adjust the insole if a comfortable feeling was to be maintained. In other instances with insoles of the type heretofore known, it was necessary to permanently or removably attach the insole adhesively to the inside of :the shoe or to the customary shoe insole built in when the shoe was made, and such proved unsatisfactory since if the adhesive was permanent the insole could not be changed to another shoe, and if it were changed to another shoe and then the first shoe worn without the insole, there would frequently be some of the adhesive remaining which adhered to the stocking of the user.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide an insole of the cushioning type which may be freely inserted within a shoe, and will effectively maintain its location within the shoe without any aid from adhesive or other securing or attaching means.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an insole of the cushioning type which has a normal lateral curvature that is convex upwardly, whereby the insole will tend to grip the interior of the shoe and better maintain its proper position throughout usage.

It is also a feature of the instant invention to provide an insole of the type freely disposable in a shoe, comprising an upper cover and a layer of cushioning material attached to the underface of the cover, the layer of cushioning material being deeply skived around the margin thereof, and the entire structure having a lateral projection in the form of a flange to engage the inside of the shoe upper in the region of the longitudinal arch, the skiving passing over the lateral flange as Well as around the remainder of the insole.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an insole for disposition in an article of footwear, comprising an upper cover, and a layer of foam latex underneath that cover, which layer tapers away to knife edge thinness at the anterior end of the cover, in the region normally underlying the phalanges of the human foot, whereby there is ampletoe room in the shoe with the insole therein.

It is a further feature of the invention to provide an insole for disposition in a shoe or the like, comprising a top covering .of any suitable material, and a lower cushioning layer of foam latex which tapers away forwardly to a knife edge in the region underlying the phalanges of the foot, and which latex layer also has a relatively Wide marginal taper outwardly thinning, which marginal taper fades into the forward taper above described.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will became apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of an insole embodyingprinciples of the instant invention; 1

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the structure of Fig. 1 taken substantially as indicated by the line 11-41, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3..is a transverse vertical sectional view through the structure of Pig. 1 taken substantially as indicated by the line IIIIII.

As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention comprises an insole including a top layer or lamination, 1; in the form of a relatively thin sheet of any suitable material, leather or artificial leather being highly satisfactory for the purpose. This sheet is, of course, given a contour of the ultimate desired shape of the resultant insole. Secured to the underface of the top layer or covering 1 is a thicker layer of cushioning material 2, which is preferably foam latex.

Foam latex is preferred, particularly of the cellular variety with intercommunicating cells, because this material is extremely light, provides an inherent clinging contact with whatever it rests against, is long lived, does not tend to compact, and has high restorative powers. Further, the foam latex with the cells thereof intercommunicating, a certain degree of ventilation is provided for the insole during use due to the repeated application of pressure and sudden removals of pressure during walking. Further, foam latex of this character may readily be laundered whenever desired.

It will be noted from the showing in the drawings, that the cushioning layer of the insole is provided with a relatively wide skive or taper 3 around the margin thereof, and this taper 3 continues around the marginal portion of a lateral extension 4 of the insole which rests against the inside of a shoe upper, beneath the inner longitudinal arch of the foot. The skive or marginal taper decreases in thickness outwardly from the normal thickness of the cushioning layer 2 to substantially a knife edge at the edge of the top covering 1. In other words, the cushioning layer, in effect, reaches the point of no thickness at the very edge of the top layer. Preferably the taper is even and gradual.

This taper on the cushioning layer permits the device to better fit within the shoe of a user and to more firmly hold its position in the shoe. With reference more particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the insole has an arcuate curvature which is convex on the upper side, or side contacting the foot or hosiery of the user. Also, as seen in Fig. 2, there is a slight longitudinal curvature at the ends of the insole, this curvature also being convex on the upper side for the same reason.

Looking more particularly at Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the cushioning layer 2 is provided or shaped to define a relatively large forwardly tapering portion 5 at the anterior end of the insole. This tapering portion 5 starts from a point preferably just in advance of the metatarsal heads, tapers smoothly and evenly forwardly to a knife edge or point of no thickness at the bounding edge of the top layer. This relatively long tapering region 5 underlies the phalanges of the foot, and provides more toe Patented Mar. 1.952

room within the article of footwear. It will also be noted that the marginal taper or skive 3 merges on both sides into the longer tapering region 5.

Preferably, the cushioning layer 2 when made of foam latex is molded. This may be accomplished in a mold having a bottom shape of'the desired configuration for the underface of the finished insole or the underside 'of the cushioning layer. The latex in semi-liquid form is placed into the mold, smoothed on the top surface, and the top layer or covering 1 may then be laid over the uncured latex. Sufiicient heat may then be applied to cure the latex and bond it in the manner of vulcanizing directly to the covering 1. The shape of the mold itself provides both the skive or marginal taper 3 and the long tapering forward'portion indicated at 5.

The resultant insole is exceedingly light in weight, may be cleansed when desired, and when placed in a shoe will fit smoothly and evenly in the desired position. The grip of the insole to the interior surface of the shoe is enhanced by virtue of the natural upward convexity of the insole, whereby foot pressure upon the insole will cause it to snugly fit within the shoe so that there will be no danger of the insole slipping out of place, buckling, wrinkling, or tending to accumulate in a doubled condition in one or more locations. When the underlayer is of foam latex, the marginal taper and the long anterior tapering portions have a clinging action upon the inside of the shoe and a comfortable fit. The same is true with the lateral Fix extending portion 4 which underlies the inner longitudinal arch of the foot. The insole is economical to manufacture, and is highly durable.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

1 claim as my invention:

A laminated cushion insole for free disposition in an article of footwear, comprising a relatively thin top cover ofuniform thickness throughout, a thicker layer of foam latex laminated to the underface of said top cover, the laminated structure having a lateral curvate extension in the region of the longitudinal arch of the foot, the laminated structure being transversely curvate and upwardly convex, the latex layer only having a relatively wide tapering margin entirely therearound which merges with an elongated forward taper leading from the region of the metatarsal arch of the foot, and said laminated structure with the exception of said margin and forward taper being of substantially uniform thickness.

References, Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Scholl Nov. 10, 1953 

